Apparatus for generating electric currents.



W. B..CLEMENTS.

APPARATUS FOR GENERATING ELECTRIC GURRENTS. APPLICATION FILED-13110.13,1909.

. 11,010,591. Patented Dec. 5, 1911,

WILLARD B. CLEMENTS, F VEEDUM, WISCONSIN.

APPARATUS FOR GENERATING ELECTRIC CITRBENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 5, 1911.v

I k Application filed December/13, 1909. Serial No. 532,893.

ing at Veedum, in the county of Wood and State of isconsin have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Generating ElectricCurrents, of which the following is a-specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for generating electric currents.

One object of my invention is to provide a wind mill with means wherebyan electric current may be generated under the influence of the wind.I11 view of the fact that wind is higher in the middle of the day thanin the evening and in view of the fact that the wind frequently blows ingusts resulting in a variableness in the speed of the wind, I havearranged my apparatus or machine whereby I will have an even flow of thewater under varying speeds of the wind or in the absence of wind, andthus provide for an efiicient generation of electricity.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consistsin the combination and arrangement of parts herein-- after more fullydescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularlypointed out in the appended claim, it being understood that changes maybe made in the form, proportion, size and minor details, withoutdeparting from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of theinvention.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is an elevation of my invention. Fig. 2 is adetail sectional view of the casing inclosing the turbine.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, thereference character 1 indicates a wind mill supporting frame upon whichis mounted any common a casing 10 at its lower end to inclose a turbine11, disposed preferably immediately above the tank 9. As the water fallsthrough the pipe 8, it causes rotation of the turbine 11, which rotatesthe shaft 12 and through the instrumentality of the beveled gears 13, 13causes rotation of the shaft l t to operate the dynamo 15 for thegeneration of electricity for various uses. The pipe 8 is provided witha valve 16 so that the flow of water from the tank 6 may be cut off whendesired. Leading from the tank 9 to the pump barrel 3 is a pipe 17provided with a valve 18. Thus, both tanks 6 and 9 have communicationwith the well by way of the pump 3.

In the middle of the day when the wind is usually higher than at othertimes, or at any other period, when the wind mill is op erating to sucha degree as to lift water from the well, both valves 16 and 18 areopened. Under these conditions, the water is lifted from the well by thepump 3 and passes upwardly through the pipe 7 into the tank-6 whichlatter falls through the pipe 8 onto the turbine 11, causing consequentoperation of the dynamo for the generation of electricity. The waterpasses over the turbine 11 and into the tank 9 from which latter itpasses through the pipe 17 to the pump 3, and if the power of the windmill is strong enough to lift water from the well, it will also causethe water passing through the pipe 17 to be lifted with the Water fromthe well and pass through the pipe 7 to the tank 6. If the power of thewind mill is not sufficient to lift the water from the well, it willlift the water passing through the pipe 17 and return it to the tank 6by way of the pipe 7, whereby there is a continuous flow of waterthrough the pump, tanks 6 and 9 and the pipes 8 and 17 whether the windbe high or low.

If desired, I may provide the pump cylinder with a valve 19 so that theonly water used for the generation of elctricity will be continuouslycirculated through the pump and tanks 6 and 9 by way of the pipes 7, 8and 17, without intermingling water from the well, even though the powerof the wind mill be sufiicient to raise water from the. well. It ispreferable, however, to lift Water from the well when the wind mill hassufficient power to do so.

The invention is particularly adapted for generating electricity for thelighting of houses, barns or to run milking machines, saw mechanisms orother tools, and in the event that the wind should not be strong enoughat night for the generation of electricity to light houses, barns,etc.,the valve 16 may be cut off and the tank 6 filled with water while thewind is blowing, which can be stored in the tank 6 for use at night. Atnight when it is desired to generate electricity, the valve 16 may beopened and water permitted to flow down over the turbine 11 to operatethe dynamo 16. The tank 6, of course, will be of such dimensions as tohold sufiicient quantities of water to provide for operation of thedynamo a suflicient length of time for lighting or other purposes. Ifall three valves 16, 18 and 19 are open at night time, there will be acontinuous flow of water through the tanks 6 and 9, if the wind milloperates, and if the wind mill mechanism should not be set out ofoperation and a gust of wind should come up at night, the operation ofthe machine would not be aifected nor would the evenness of the flow ofthe water be disturbed, as regards its passage over the turbine 11.

It is not necessary to have the present invention coupled up with a wellat all. The pipe 17 may lead directly into the pump, and

water first delivered to the device from an eaves trough (not shown),the water being first fed into the upper tank 6 and circulated throughboth tanks, the pump and pipe connections.

What is claimed is The combination of a windmill, a pump operatedthereby, upper and lower tanks, a pipe leading from the pump upwardly t0the top of the upper tank to establish communication between the pumpand upper tank, avertical valved pipe connection between the upper andlower tanks, a turbine disposed in the line of the valved vertical pipefor operation under the influence of water passing from the upper to thelower tank, a dynamo disposed on the lower tank and having operativeconnection with the turbine,

and a substantially horizontally disposed valved pipe leading from thebottom of the lower tank to the casing of the pump, the casing of thepump having a valve below said substantially horizontally disposed pipe,whereby water may be continuously circulated through said tanks and theupper portion of said pump and the connections between the tanks and thepump whether the valve of the pump casing be opened or closed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLARD B. (ELEMENTS.

Witnesses:

F. S. WOODWORTH, M. KING.

